Brandon Lilly 10 Week Bench Training Cycle

I know many of you have been asking for detailed breakdowns of my training, and I have tried to maintain

a balance of answering questions but also maintaining a sense of respect for my trainees. So, with that being said, I am going to lay out for you the main exercises I have done for the last 10 weeks, and reserve the accessories for my trainees. The accessory work is where I truly build my bench… But worry not I will lay out my accessories just not reps and schemes.

I based my numbers off of a 540 bench that I acheived with a pause at my meet in May.

Week 1 Reps

Regular bench: 375 x 5 x 3 sets

Close Grip Off Board

Lat Pull Downs

Tricep Pushdowns

Abs

Week 2 Speed

Regular Bench: 300 x 3 x 10 (30 secs rest between sets)

Pause Presses

Lat Pull Downs

Tricep Extensions

Lateral Raises

Shrugs

Abs

Week 3 Max (I don’t always Max Out, but this is my heaviest week in the rotation)

Regular Bench: 470 x 5 x 2 sets

Incline DB Press

Lat Pull Downs

Shrugs

Tricep Extensions

Week 4 Reps

Regular Bench: 400 x 3 x 3 sets

Close Grip Off Board

Lat Pull Downs

Dips

Abs

Week 5 Speed

Regular Bench: 315 x 2 x 8

Close Grip

Lat Pull Downs

Front Raises

Shrugs

Abs

Week 6 Max

Regular Bench:  515 x 3, 530 x 2

Incline DB Hands Facing In

Lat Pull Downs

Week 7 Reps

Regular Bench: 425 x 3 x 3

Close Grip Off Board

Lat Pull Downs

Skull Crushers

Abs

Week 8 Speed

Regular Bench: 365 x 3 x 5

Band Pull Aparts

Shrugs

Lat Pull Downs

(This week was super light on accessories knowing my next week was for a new PR attempt.)

Week 9 Max

Regular Bench: 515 x 1, 545 x 1 PR (Not a gym PR, but paused PR, 560 was my gym PR), 575 x 1

*I only took 575 for 1 because 545 went PERFECTLY, and I had trained well and felt a new lifetime PR was in my sights.

High Rep Close Grip

(Shut down knowing next week is Rep PR attempt)

Week 10 Reps

Regular Bench: 545 x 2 PR!

Close Grip off Boards

Tricep Push Downs

Lat Pull Downs